Emergency car-brake.



Patented Oct. I5, I90".

Ho. $84.73!. w. s. smm.

EMERGENCY CAR BRAKE.

(Application filed Jan. 19, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 684,73i. Patented 001. I5, I901. W; S. SMiTl-L EMERGENCY CAB BRAKE.

, (Application filed Jan. 19 1901.), (N0 Model.) 2 Sheis-Sheet 2.

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Ihvrrnn STATES PATENT rricn.

WVILLIAM S. SMITH, OF EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO.

EMERGENCY CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,731, dated October 15, iooi;

Application filed January 19, 1901. Serial No. 45883. (No model.)

To all whom tr; may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Liverpool, in the county of Oolumbia-na and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Emergency Oar-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to emergency apparatus for stopping electric and other traction cars; and its primary object is to provide means for stopping runaway and other cars which cannot be controlled by the usual brake appliances.

The improvement is also designed for use in bringing cars to a quick stop to avoid collisions and other accidents.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a view in side elevation of a car equipped with my improvement, the mechanism being shown in inoperative position. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the mechanism operative. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, shown partly in section. Fig. 4 is aside e1evation of the adjusting mechanism in inoperative position, and Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the position of the parts when the emergency mechanism has been set. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view on line 7 7' of Fig. 4. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of an attachable shoe for the emergency-lever. Fig. 10 is a detail View of the lever-fulcrum.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates the forward platform of a car 3.

4 is the e1nergency-lever, fulcrumed on bolt or hearing 5, between beams or timbers 6 of the car-floor. Secured to these beams are bearing-blocks 7, formed with depressions S to receive the hemispherical projections 9 on opposite sides of lever 4 and coincident with the fulcrum-point, whereby a very strong hearing is had, thus relieving bolt 5 of much of the strain to which it otherwise would be subjected.

The portion of lever 4 extending rearward from the fulcrum-point is curved downward, as indicated at 4, and terminates in an approximately V-shaped extremity 4", which is adapted to impinge the pavement or ballast between the car-tracks when the lever is brought into action. The curvature of the lever is such that when brought into action its operative extremity is at a slightly backward or receding inclination, which, in connection with the V form of its extremity, causes the lever to drag with a downward pressure 011 the pavement or ballast rather than to plow the same, were the lever extremity of opposite or forward inclination. In some instances the nature of the pavement or ball'ast may be such as to make advisable a broader bearing-surface than that presented by the lever extremity, in which case the lever extremity may be provided with an attachable shoe 10, Figs. 8 and 9, said shoe being preferably formed with a hollow shank portion 11 to embrace the lever extremity, being secured thereto by a pin 12 and having its under or contact face formed with projecting points 13 to form a rough bearing-surface.

The portion oflever 4 in advance of its fulcrum extends forward beneath the car-platform 2 and loosely unites at 14 with the lower extremity of the vertical screw-shaft 15, provided at its upper end with operating-wheel 16. The shaft is operative through a threaded nut or head 17, having trunnion-bearings 18 in the opposite sides of frame 19. This frame fits snugly within the vertical stand or frame 20, firmly secured to platform 2, the stand being formed with vertical side slots 21, to receive lateral extensions 22 of frame 1.9 to positively guide the latter when moving vertically. Frame 19 is also provided with lateral extensions 23, which act as stops when engaging frame 20 at the upper ends of slots 21, therebylimiting the movement of frame 19.

Pivoted at 24 in the front of frame 19 are depending pawls 25, which engage parallel racks 26, formed in the front face of stand 20, being held normally in engagement therewith by spring 27, interposed between the pawls. The latter are provided with projecting handles 28 for disengaging the pawls from the racks.

In operation the normal position of the mechanism is, as seen in Figs. 1, 4, and 6, with the rear end of lever 4 raised out of contact with the pavement or ballast. When,

however, itis desired to check the speed of the car,"eitl1er through failure of the brake to workor sliding of the locked wheels on the rails or for making a quick stop to avoid collision or accident, hand-wheel 16 is grasped by the motorman and given a quick upward pull, drawing frame 19 upward in stand 20, the pawls 25 sliding freely over racks 20, thus instantly bringing the rear end of the lever in contact with the pavement or ballast. The pawls hold frame 19 in raised position, and then shaft 15 is rotated by wheel 16, thereby still further raising the forward end of lever 4 and increasing the downward pressure of its rear end to the extent required for checking and stopping the car. The vertical movement of frame 19 provides for a quick-almost i ustantaneousapplication of the emergency device, so that it is quite impossible for'the car to get beyond control of the motorman. For resetting the mechanism, handles 28 are grasped to draw pawls 25 out of engagement with racks 26, thus permitting frame 19 to move downward and raising the operative end of lever t. Head 17 is trunnioned at 18 and shaft 15 is loosely connected at 14 with lever 4 to permit the shaft to conform to the movement of the lever.

I am aware that it has been proposed heretofore to equip cars with track-brakes; but in many instances they have been deficient, as when forced down upon the rails they form runners upon which the car slides. Especially is this true on steep grades, where many serious accidents have occurred owing to the inability of the motorman to check the speed of the car. With my improvement the pavement or ballast between the rails is impinged or engaged in such manner that the car may be stopped without difficulty. I do notwish my device to be confounded with a grapple for positively engaging the road-bed, as obviously such device would be entirely impracticable. My device is essentially a friction device and does not depend for its operativeness upon plowing or unduly gouging the road-bed. As it may be applied instantly and the pressure increased to any desired degree, it is capable of effective work in any emergency.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a lever fulcrumed between its ends beneath a car, the rear portion of the lever being curved downward and rearward to form a drag, vertically-sliding mechanism operatively connected to the for ward end of the lever for instantly applying it, and screw mechanism carried by the sliding mechanism for increasing the pressure of the lever, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of a brake, a fixed stand, aframe slidable in the stand, a ratchetand-pawl connection between the stand and frame, a screw-head carried by the frame, and a threaded shaft adjustable through the head and operatively connected to the brake, sub' stantially asshown and described.

3. The combination of a vertically swinging brake lever, a fixed stand, a frame slidable vertically therein, a ratchetandpawl connection between the stand and frame, a screw-head carried by the frame, and a threaded shaft adjustable through the head and connected at its lower end to the brake-lever, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of a brake lever fulcrumed to swing vertically, a fixed stand, a frame slidable vertically therein, a ratchetand-pawl connection between the stand and frame, a screw-head trunnioned in the frame, and a threaded shaft adjustable through the head and at its lower end loosely connected to the brake-lever, substantially'as shown and described.

5. The combination of the fixed stand formed with vertical guideways, a frame movable in the stand and provided with ofisets movable in the said ways, stops for limiting the movementof the frame, and the ratchet and-pawl connection between the frame and stand, substantially as shown and described.

6. Thecombinationofabrake-leverformed on opposite sides with curved enlargements,-

the lever and said enlargements being apertured transversely, bearings for opposite sides of the lever having curved depressions to re ceive said lever enlargements, the bearings being apertured transversely in line with the lever-aperture, and a bearing-bolt extending through the bearing and lever apertures, sub stantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM s. SMITH. Witnesses:

BARNARD EAGON, GEo. A. HASSON. 

